johnson



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. JOHNSON. FOLDING PACKING BOX.

No. 405,709. Patented'June 25, 1889.

Inventor:

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. JOHNSON.

FOLDING PACKING BOX.

No. 405,709. Patented June 25, 1889.

,WMWWMWW/l/l/ll/ w; h if 4 y %w.Z -Mo 0@ N, PETERS Phomunw u hu, wulv'm mn. n (L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY JOHNSON, OF VASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO BENDEZA J. BEHREND, OF SAME PLACE.

FOLDING PACKING-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 405,709, dated June 25, 1889.

Application filed April '7, 1887. Serial No. 233,983. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Packing-Boxes, Trunks, or Receptacles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled [o in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates especially to an improvement in the folding packing box or receptacle patented to me under Letters Patent [5 No. 284,211, dated September 4, 1883; and the object of my present invention is to provide an improved means for strengthening and protecting the wood ofthe box or receptacle, and an improved means for interlocking and securing the jointed portions of said box in position, and also means which admit of the parts of the box being folded compactly and close upon one another.

Myinvention is applicable to either a com- 2 5 mercial packingbox, trunk, chest, postalroute box, or other packing-receptacle, as will be hereinafter described, and which can be unfolded for the discharge of its contents, and can be compactly folded one part against another for reshipment to the sender, or which can be used for packing therein a different kind of goods and shipping the same to him.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is 3 5 a perspective of my invention and showing the packing-receptacle ready for being filled with goods. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same with its top thrown open. Fig. 3 is a side View of the same folded up. Fig. 4 is an end View of the same. Fig. 5 is a vertical section of the folded packing receptacle, box, or trunk in the line a; of Fig. 3, shown on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section in the line y g of Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail section in the line 2 z of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an enlarged section in the line a" 00 of Fig. 4. Fig. 9 isa perspective of a tool used for lockin and unlocking the box or re ceptacle, and Fig. 10 is a detail section in the line 1 y of Fig. 1.

A in the drawings represents the bottom of my improved box, trunk, or receptacle, B C D E, the sides thereof, and F the top. The

bottom A is provided with Vertical flangegcther, and the side flanges a a are covered with angular sheet metal a", for the purpose of protecting the upper edges and sides of the same and the end portions of the bottom.

The wooden bottom A is protected by metal strips or wires (0 at right angles to the grain of the wood, or'otherwise. The flanges a a are provided with eye-strips a, of sheet metal, which protect and strengthen the lower front and rear edges of the box by being fastened to both sides of the said flanges and to the lower portions of the bottom A. Above the flange a the eye portions of the strips a hold a rod 1), which serves as a joint-pivot between the front board B and flange at, eyestrips 1) being fastened to the lower portion of the front board B and arranged be tween the eye-strips a and around the rod 1). The opposite sides C E are similarly hinged, by means of rods 0 e and eye-strips c and 6', respectively, to the flanges a a which latter are provided with eye strips 0 and e for holding the said rods in place. The jointrods 1') c c are placed at different heights from the bottom A, so that the sides and front can be successively turned down upon the bottom and folded upon each other, as Figs. 5 and 8 represent in sections. The flange-board a is provided with eye-strips d and a joint pivotrod d, to which latter the rear board D is attached by means of eye-strips d (1 alternating with the eye-strips (1 upon the rod d. To this rear board D the top F is hinged by 0 means of a joint pivot-rod f and eye-strips d f, the former on the board D and the latter on the top F. The top F consists of three hinged portions F F F, hinged together by means of pivot-rods f and eye-strips f, in a manner similar to that above described.

The lateral end portions of the boards B F F F are strengthened and protected by means of gutter-shaped metal strips 19 and f. Similar strips are provided on the ex- I00 finally the side 0.

posed end portion of the board F Between the eye-strips of the described hinge-connections transverse metal strips or wire rods 6 c d e f f"'* are fastened to the respective boards B O D E F across the grain of the wood or otherwise. These transverse strips or wire rods, being made separatefroni the eye-strips, enable me to make a cheaper box, inasmuch as they do not cause a waste of metal and time in fitting, as do the solidlyconnected eye-strips and transverse strips of my former patent. They are attached to the boards with less loss of time and labor, because in separate pieces they can be adjusted and fastened successively in a very short time and with but ordinary skill, while the connected strips must be drawn over the carefully-trimmed boards with force, so as to effect a close fit upon the boards, and, lastly, the transverse strips can be removed without disturbing the eye-strips, when either an exchange of a transverse strip is desirable or the boards shrink to such degree that said strips become too long and begin to bulge and have to be unfastened.

At f* I have illustrated a way in which Wire-rod connections or metal strips may be made separate from the eye-strips, and yet have their ends fastened to the eye-strips This mode of construction would possess some of the advantages of cheapness stated over eye-strips and binding-strips made in one piece, and at the same time secure a binding-connection between the eye-strips. The fastening of the wire rods or metal strips to the eye-strips maybe effected by either hooking, soldering, riveting, or other suitable mode.

When the box is to be prepared for use, the top F and back D are turned up until the back D assumes an upright position. Then the front is turned up, then the side B, and

The box being now complete in form, is then fastened together. This is done by means of hooks, lugs, and pins. The hooks G are let into the material of the sides,which material is strengthened by means of metal plates 9 g, to which the pivots 9 are fastened. The head 9 of hookG extends into a suitable slot 9 of the contiguous board, which at that point is provided with strong metal plates, so as to afford a good hold to the hook. The hook is moved through a suitable slot 9 in one of the plates g or g by means of a tool H, having a dovetail-ed lug h. This lug h is inserted into the slot g and the hook G pushed forward or backward therewith in order to lock or unlock. By means of these hooks the front board E and rear board D and top F are held to the sides B and' closed serve to laterally steady said top portions.

Buttons K are provided, to which wires 10 are fastened, in order to lock the top, and

each wire may be prevented from slipping laterally by placing it in kerfs 10', provided in the top of the box, as shown. The box may be further fastened by providing it with padlocks in the ordinary way.

The box or trunk when folded occupies very little room, and a great number of them can be stowed away in a store, car, or in the hold of a vessel without causing inconvenience by their bulk.

The nailed boxes now in use at busy seasons fill cellars and take up room which might be used for a better purpose. In opening such boxes their tops are more or less damaged, and mostly rendered only fit for kindlingwood. I have thus provided a box which can be instantly and repeatedly opened and closed Without splint-ering the top or sides, and which can be'sent on its mission again and again, while the common box, as a rule, serves but once.

In order to prevent the defacing of the surfaces of the box by written or printed matter, I provide aframe L, hinged at Z Z to the box, and fastened by means of a screw Z at the opposite side. This frame is provided with a piece of mica Z which covers and protects a label-or piece of paper or card 1 having the direction written or printed upon it. The screw Z is permanently connected with the frame L by means of a collar 1 which bears upon the lower side of the frame, while the head Z of the screw bears upon the upper side of the same. the wood and secured by means of a plate Z and serves to hold the screw Z in place while the frame L is screwed fast.

The corners of the box may be provided with corner-plates m, to prevent wear of the eye-strips, and gutter or U -shaped protectingplates. The bottom of the box may be provided with removable caster-rollers, which are used when the box is to be moved about in a building.

In manufacturing my packing-receptacles, either in form of boxes or trunks, I .propose to either use well-seasoned solid boards of one thickness or a series of thin boards with the grain of one running the reverse of another.

tacle, the combination, with the sides and ends B O D E, of the lugs I and notches 'i, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The packing-receptacle comprising fold ing sections A B O D E F, hooks G, hookholding plates, slotted strengthening-plates, and lugs I, said hooks being applied on the sides and ends of the receptacle and accessible at points near its top, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The packing-receptacle comprising folding' sections A B O D E F, hooks G, hookholding plates, slotted strengthening-plates,

lugs I, and pins J, substantially as described.

4. The packing-receptacle comprising folding sections A B O D E F, hooks G, hookholding plates, slotted strengthening-plates, fastening K 70, and Wire is, substantially as described.

5. In the described folding packing-recep- 

